BI nabs Korean drug suspect

MANILA, Philippines –  A South Korean man wanted in his own country for selling and using cocaine was arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) early this month, an official said yesterday.

In a statement, BI officer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledesma said Sang Jun-cha was arrested upon the request of the South Korean embassy. The BI-Interpol unit, headed by Floro Balato Jr., arrested him last Dec. 2 in Tanza, Cavite.

Ledesma said Sang has been placed on the BI blacklist and banned from returning to the country. The South Korean government cancelled his passport.

Balato said a Seoul court issued a warrant for Sang’s arrest. He reportedly bought five grams of cocaine and sold some of it to fellow Korean on credit sometime in March 2006.

Seoul authorities also alleged that Sang injected some of the cocaine while staying at a motel. He will be deported as soon as the BI board of commissioners issues the order for his summary deportation.